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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bank — of a river
  3. last — finally
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. key — for a lock
  7. last — final
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. net — for catching
  11. last — to go on
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. net — after costs
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. net — in sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. key — in music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com